Muslim leader Sheik Taj el-Din al Hilaly is refusing to resign
over a sermon in which he blamed women for rape and instead has
chanted an anti-American slogan outside Sydney's Lakemba
Mosque.

After midday prayers today, the sheik was besieged by a group of
reporters who asked him whether he would bow to demands and
quit.

The Islamic clergyman smiled and shook his head, saying in
English: "After we clean the world of the White House first."

His words were greeted by cheers and applause from dozens of
supporters among hundreds of worshippers at mosque.

Several men called out "Allahu akbar'' (God is great) as the
sheik's car sped away.

There was a heavy police presence at today's scene with members
of the media ordered to stay on the other side the road from the
mosque.

Many worshippers told smh.com.au they supported the sheik and
many seemed bemused by big media attention.

AAP reports: Prime Minister John Howard said
Australia's Islamic community must resolve the dispute surrounding
the cleric or risk a lasting backlash against Muslims.

Mr Howard said today the episode was a crucial test for
Australia's Muslim community.

"It's not for the government to say who runs a mosque, or who's
an archbishop, or who's a rabbi," he told Southern Cross
Broadcasting.

"What I am saying to the Islamic community is this: If they do
not resolve this matter, it could do lasting damage to the
perceptions of that community within the broader Australian
community.

"If it is not resolved, then unfortunately people will run
around saying, 'Well, the reason they didn't get rid of him is
because secretly some of them support his views'."

He said the government was not in a position to sack or deport
the mufti.

No more sermons for a while

Sheik Hilaly will be giving no more sermons for several
months at Lakemba mosque, senior Muslims say.

But no further action is to be taken against Australia's top
Muslim cleric for likening scantily dressed women to uncovered meat
and saying they're responsible for sexual attacks.

The decision followed an emergency meeting of Muslim leaders in
Sydney last night to discuss the storm over the sheik's remarks,
condemned by many fellow Muslims and by mainstream political
leaders across the political spectrum.

The meeting at Sydney's Lakemba Mosque lasted four hours to
determine the fate of the man regarded by much of the Islamic
community as the mufti of Australia.

But the board of the Lebanese Muslim Association decided that
Sheik Hilaly had been misinterpreted.

Tom Zrika, of the association, said the sheik would be
giving no more sermons for several months, but no further action
would be taken.

"Some people on the board would have liked to have more done,
but unfortunately we can only speak to the board," he said.

He described last night's meeting as "very, very intense".

"You can take it either way," Mr Zrika told ABC radio.

He said the board had "met with the mufti of Australia".

"A thorough explanation of the contents of the sermon, the
subject of complaint, was given to the board.

"The board is satisfied with the notion that certain statements
made by the mufti was misinterpreted."

Sheik al Hilaly's remarks were made during a Ramadan sermon to
500 worshippers in Sydney last month.

Excerpts from a recording of the 17-minute sermon appeared in
The Australian newspaper yesterday.

He said there were women who "sway suggestively" and wore
make-up and inappropriate clothes, "and then you get a judge
without mercy (rahma) and gives you 65 years", The
Australian reported.

"If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the
street, or in the the garden or in the park, or in the backyard
without a cover, and the cats come and eat it ... whose fault is
it, the cats' or the uncovered meat," the sheik asked.

"The uncovered meat is the problem."

"If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab (Muslim
headscarf), no problem would have occurred."

6040http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sheiks-punishment-not-enough-goward/2006/10/27/1161749284607.htmlSheik's punishment not enough: Gowardtext/html-documenthttp://www.smh.com.au/news/national/british-cleric-supports-al-hilaly/2006/10/27/1161749282710.htmlBritish cleric supports al Hilalytext/html-documenthttp://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sheik-fights-critics-from-sickbed/2006/10/26/1161749260119.htmlSheik fights critics from sickbedtext/html-documenthttp://www.smh.com.au/news/national/a-history-of-fiery-rhetoric/2006/10/26/1161749260131.htmlA history of fiery rhetorictext/html-documenthttp://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/sheiks-views-show-up-the-wider-problem-with-muslim-men/2006/10/26/1161749253899.htmlSheik's views show up the wider problem with Muslim mentext/html-externalhttp://www.smh.com.au/polls/politics/form.htmlWhat should have happened to the sheik?text/html-pollhttp://media.fairfax.com.au/?rid=23014Call for sheik to govideo/standard